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After taking my normal rest day on Wednesday (Day 24), I ended up missing my run on Thursday (Day 25) due to a brief stomach illness, but thankfully was able to pick back up with week 4 of my “Return to Running” program on Friday afternoon:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Friday’s Run (Day 26)

I started off from my house, and ran through the streets of Bellevue in a steady rain that was quite heavy at times. My legs felt reasonably fresh after two days off, though I tried to keep my pace fairly chill. The temps were relatively warm, and the rain not very refreshing, which left things feeling quite muggy. All-in-all though I was pleased with the run. It is interesting though how after taking two days off the aching in my left leg returned. It had been MUCH better on Monday and Tuesday, but was back on Friday. Strange! In total I finished 45 minutes of running and just over 7 minutes of walking for a total of just under 5.8 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.79
• Time: 52:17 minutes
• Pace: 9:02
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: Streets of Bellevue

Saturday’s Run (Day 27)

Brian agreed to run with me again this Saturday, and we started off with our running group from the Bread & Co parking lot. They planned to run to Percy Warner Park, and then onto the main drive of the park. I’m supposed to avoid significant hills, so we joined them to the main entrance of the park, and proceeded to run the infamous “zig-zag” route through Belle Meade created by our friend Edward. It was very humid during the run, but we kept the pace extremely chill, and I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation with my friend. We ended up having to add a little bit on to the end of the route to finish the intervals. In total we finished 45-minutes of running and just under 17 minutes of walking for a total of 6.1 miles completed.

• Miles: 6.12
• Time: 1 hour 1:53 minutes
• Pace: 10:07
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Zig-Zag Route – Belle Meade

No running today (Day 28), since it is my rest day. Finished 23.8-miles this week. Hope to start week 5 tomorrow. 

Cross-Training (Day 26)

• Pullups >> Test Day – 12 consecutive reps completed

Cross-Training (Day 27)

• Stationary Bike >> 30 minutes completed

Yesterday’s Run (Day 22)

Yesterday marked day 2 of week 4 in my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Yesterday also marked my reunion with the Bellevue Trio (Nathan and Paxton) for a morning run. I arrived a bit early at the Edwin Warner nature center to get in my walking warmup, and then we did the remainder of the run on the Harpeth River Greenway and Edwin Warner Park. It was very good to be back running with the guys, and my legs felt fantastic. After my fairly brisk run on Monday night, along with an intense leg workout, I thought I would be toast. However, we still kept the running pace around an 8:30 average. In total we finished 45 minutes of running and just over 9 minutes of walking for a total of just under 6 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.91
• Time: 54:19 minutes
• Pace: 9:12
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: HR Greenway

No running today (Day 23), since it is my rest day. Hope to pick back up with week 4 tomorrow. 

Cross-Training (Day 22)

None

Cross-Training (Day 23)

• 100 Push Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 2 – 141 total reps completed.
  I started week 4 over again this week because of all the difficulty I had going through the first time. Definitely easier than the first time through for Day 2.
  
• Pullups >> 25 total reps completed
• Ran out of time for my core workout. Hope to get it in on Friday or Saturday.

Yesterday’s Run

After a rest day on Sunday (Day 20), yesterday marked the beginning of week 4 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

This is by far the biggest jump in running time since the program started, moving from 30 to 45 total minutes of running. I just started off from my house and ran through the streets of Bellevue. When the first running interval started, my legs felt fairly rough. The gears were definitely grinding. However, this gradually got much better throughout the first interval. By the second interval, everything felt great and my stride felt smooth. This resulted in a fairly brisk pace, which was very comfortable. I was surprised how good my legs felt all the way through to the end of the final interval, and there was almost no hint of aching in my leg. In total I finished 45 minutes of running and just over 8 minutes of walking for a total of just under 6 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.98
• Time: 53:11 minutes
• Pace: 8:54
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Streets of Bellevue

Cross-Training

• 100 Push Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 1 – 120 total reps completed.
  I started week 4 over again this week because of all the difficult I had going through the first time. Moving back to Day 1 was definitely easier than the first time through, though the shorter breaks still makes it quite a challenge.
  
• Pullups >> 23 total reps completed
• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Hip Hike 2 x 20 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 10 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

Days 4 and 5 from week 3 of my “Return to Running” program are now in the books, and I’m looking forward to starting week 4 on Monday. Week 3 has included:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cool-down

Yesterday’s Run (Day 18)

On Friday I met up with Nathan at Bellevue Church of Christ for an easy effort in a steady drizzle through the streets of Bellevue. It was good to get back out there with Nathan again. My legs were a bit fatigued after Thursday’s run and leg workout, but I still felt pretty good throughout, especially with the easy pace. In total we finished 30 minutes of running and just over 10 minutes of walking for a total of 3.78 miles completed.

• Miles: 3.78
• Time: 40:01 minutes
• Pace: 10:36
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: BCOC loop

Today’s Run (Day 19)

This morning I decided to start at the same place as my running group, even though I couldn’t do their 11.2-mile run. I had not seen many of them in a couple of months, so it was good to re-connect. Brian was just coming off of the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indy last weekend, and doesn’t have another race on the schedule, so he agreed to join me for my modest workout. We kept the pace very chill on the moderately hilly route through Percy Warner Park, but everything felt really good. The aching in my leg was actually a lot better than during the previous couple of runs. In total we finished 30 minutes of running and just under 11 minutes of walking for a total of just under 4 miles completed.

• Miles: 3.9
• Time: 41:58 minutes
• Pace: 10:46
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: PW main drive – 7 to 8-mile loop

Cross-Training

Yesterday: None

Today:

Elliptical >> 1-hour completed – I never run with music, but this is one of the things that gets me through a workout on the elliptical machine. Today I hit the elliptical hard, and a lot of that was fueled by listening to “Second Coming,” which is the new album from Stryper. It is basically a greatest-hits album, but all of the tracks were re-recorded, and they are actually better than the originals. They are such gifted musicians  and Michael Sweet’s voice still sounds amazing.

• 100 Pushup Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 3 – 154 total reps completed
  – The target for today was 160, but I crashed again in the 5th set, only getting 34 out of 40. This is the second day of week 4 where I haven’t been able to get all the reps done on the first try. I think I’m gonna start week 4 over again next week, and see if I can build up a little more strength before taking the jump to week 5.

• Pullups >> 22 total reps completed

Beast Mode…ON!

Today’s Run

After getting the all-clear from my doctor to resume running this afternoon, I picked back  with day 3 of week 3 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

It’s been 5-days since my last run, and it was great to be back on the road. It is interesting that the aching in my leg was worse today than the last day I ran, but it is nice to know that there is nothing structurally wrong, since my MRI was clear. Even with the aching, the run felt great. I started off in the parking lot of the Bellevue United Methodist Church, and ran through the surrounding neighborhood. I took a slight detour in the middle of my second segment to take a look at the new bridge which will further extend the Harpeth River Greenway. I even ran across the bridge, though there was nowhere to go on the other side.

Anyway, in total I finished 30 minutes of running and just over 7 minutes of walking for a total of just over 4 miles completed.

• Miles: 4.08
• Time: 37:43 minutes
• Pace: 9:15
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Beech Bend, Harpeth Bend, etc.

Cross-Training

• 100 Push Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 2 – 144 total reps completed.
  The last set called for 36, but somehow I managed to get in 40. It helped that Kate was counting for me, which provided a little more motivation to get through them.
• Pullups >> 21 total reps completed
• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Groucho Walk – 45 seconds
• Hip Hike 2 x 20 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 10 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

I received the results of my MRI this afternoon, and…

Everything looked good. I’m free to continue with the “Return to Running” program, and training for the 2013 ING New York City Marathon. Leaving the bench and headed back to the road!

It’s amazing how a healed stress injury can feel so much like the beginning of a stress fracture, but it makes sense that whenever bones heal all of the connected nerve fibers will also be affected.

Whatever the case, I’m glad to be back….again! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and encouragement. They are greatly appreciated.

I had the follow-up appointment with my orthopaedist this morning, and he recommended that I have an MRI to definitively see what is going on with my femur. Though he acknowledged that this could be a full-blown stress fracture that doesn’t show up on x-ray, his opinion is that the pain I’m experiencing right now is “Phantom Pain” or “Healing Pain” from the previous stress reaction.

He explained that this type of pain is real, but is not caused by a recurrence of the injury. It is instead caused by how the healed injury site interacts with the connected nerves. He said this often feels very similar to the beginning stages of a stress injury.

Whatever the case, I’m just glad we’re going forward with the MRI so I can at least have peace-of-mind regarding the path ahead.

Well, now that I’m back on the bench, time to start doing what is needed to get back off the bench again. To that end I have an appointment with my orthopaedist tomorrow morning to discuss next steps. Prayers for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan would be appreciated. I’m still holding out hope that I’ll be able to run New York in November.

This afternoon I headed back to the pool for a riveting hour of aqua jogging. Every second I spend in the pool just helps me realize how much I miss running, and pushes me to stay disciplined and work hard to get back out on the road.

Cross Training

• Aqua Jogging >> 1 hour
• 100 Pushup Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 1 – 120 total reps completed
  – I repeated this day for the second time since I was not able to complete all the reps on either of my first attempts. It was a struggle in the last set, but I got ’em all done tonight! It’s interesting….I’ve been through this routine start to finish twice, and I’ve never had this much trouble with a single workout. Guess this means I’m getting old.

• Pullups >> 19 total reps completed
• In and Outs x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Forward x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Backward x 25 reps
• Crunchy Frog x 25 reps
• Wide Leg Sit Ups x 25 reps
• Hip Rock n’ Raise x 25 reps
• Pulse Ups x 21 reps
• Roll-Up / V-Up Combo x 25 reps
• Oblique V-Up Right x 25 reps
• Oblique V-Up Left x 25 reps
• Leg Climb x 24 reps (1 grab)
• Mason Twist x 50 reps

Warning….venting ahead.

Well, after expressing my concerns about the “nondescript, dull, aching sensation in my inner-thigh” last night, I woke up this morning with aching and throbbing all the way up and down my upper leg and hip. This tells me there is no doubt that I’m back on the bench, and that I started running again too soon.

I’ve decided to go to the doctor, though I’m not sure if i’ll go back to my normal orthopaedist or seek a second opinion. Either way I’m incredibly frustrated to be back on the bench so soon. I’m also frustrated that New York is now in jeopardy.

I actually knew things were amiss last Friday when I had my bone density scan. It had nothing to do with the scan itself, but as I sat down for the study the back of my left leg hit the edge of the table and there was significant discomfort. I tried to brush it aside as “phantom pain” that many experience after a stress fracture, but deep inside I knew it was not good.

So, it looks like I’ll be spending a LOT more time in the pool, which is AWESOME! Can’t wait! *sarcasm*

Beast Mode….Off

Today’s Run

Today marked the second day from week 3 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

I decided to run this afternoon on the Vaughn’s Gap cross-country field at Percy Warner park in order to have a slightly softer surface for my legs. Just like yesterday, my legs felt a little heavy at the beginning, but felt better with each running interval. When I started there was full sun, and it was quite warm. However, the clouds and wind quickly rolled in as a storm front is moving into Middle Tennessee:

In total I finished 30 minutes of running and just over 10 minutes of walking for a total of 4.18 miles completed.

• Miles: 4.18
• Time: 40:25 minutes
• Pace: 9:41
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: Vaughn’t Gap Cross-Country Course

Even though I felt pretty good during this run, I have been experiencing a nondescript, dull, aching sensation in my inner-thigh for the past several days. This has caused two reactions from me so far:

1. One part of me is prone to panic – My mind starts racing with questions like…Have I injured my femur again? What if I really did have a stress fracture, but it just didn’t show up on the x-ray, even after 4-weeks? Did I start running again too soon? Will I ever be able to run/train again like I used to?
2. Another part of me thinks I’m just being paranoid – I can hop on my leg without pain. It doesn’t really hurt when I’m running, just feels “funny.”

All of this has left me very frustrated and uncertain about what to do. I would hate to keep running on it if there really is an injury. On the other hand, since there is no real pain, I hate to go back to the orthopaedist and have him look at me like I’ve lost my mind. At this point I’m leaning toward laying off from running, and then making a decision next week about what to do next. So confusing.

Cross-Training

• None

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Today’s Run

After a rest day yesterday (Day 14), today marked the beginning of week 3 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

This marks a 10-minute increase in running time with less overall walking, so I was interested to see how my legs would respond. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon in Nashville, and I completed this run on the Harpeth River Greenway. My legs felt tired and heavy at the start, but loosened up quite a bit with each of the 3 running segments. I ended up feeling quite good by the end. In total I finished 30 minutes of running and just over 10 minutes of walking for a total of 4.36 miles completed.

• Miles: 4.36
• Time: 40:27 minutes
• Pace: 9:17
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: HR Greenway from Nature Center

Cross-Training

• Elliptical >> 30 Minutes
• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Groucho Walk – 45 seconds
• Hip Hike 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 2 x 12 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

Today’s Run

Today was my rest day from running before beginning Week 3 of my “Return to Running” program tomorrow. Two weeks down, 8 to go!

Cross-Training

• 100 Pushup Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 1 – 113 total reps completed
  – I repeated this day since I was not able to complete all the reps on Monday. I crashed again in the final set today, and fell short of the 120 reps. Plan to repeat it again on Friday.
• Pullups >> 18 total reps completed
• In and Outs x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Forward x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Backward x 25 reps
• Crunchy Frog x 25 reps
• Wide Leg Sit Ups x 25 reps
• Hip Rock n’ Raise x 25 reps
• Pulse Ups x 20 reps
• Roll-Up / V-Up Combo x 20 reps
• Oblique V-Up Right x 25 reps
• Oblique V-Up Left x 25 reps
• Leg Climb x 24 reps (1 grab)
• Mason Twist x 50 reps

Beast Mode…ON!

Today’s Run (Posted A Day Later)

This was the 5th and final day from week 2 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 4 x 5-minute run / 2-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

This was one of those runs where I felt like I could run as far and fast as I wanted. Even though it came after an hour of aqua jogging, my legs felt ridiculously good. Unfortunately this caused me to push it a little harder than I should have through the streets of Bellevue on a muggy night. Even so, it was a big confidence boost to feel this good again.  In total I did 20 minutes of running and just over 15 minutes of walking for a total of 3.74 miles completed.

• Miles: 3.74
• Time: 35:25 minutes
• Pace: 9:29
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Hwy 70, Sawyer Brown, George Patton, Todd Pries

Cross-Training

• Aqua Jogging >> 1 hour 5 minutes with Olivia
• This was supposed to be my night for core/abs work, but I simply ran out of time. Hope to get it done on Wednesday.

I’ve got a lot of great pictures of Kate running, but this one from Sunday’s ING Kids Rock Marathon is by far my favorite! Look at her Go!!

I love the form! I love the intensity! I’m so proud of my Kater Bug!!!

Today’s Run

After a rest day yesterday (Day 11), this was the 4th day from week 2 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

*3 to 5-minute walking warmup
*4 x 5-minute run / 2-minute walk
*3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

For today’s run, I pushed Sara in the running stroller down the Harpeth River Greenway on a beautiful afternoon. We started out at the Nature Center in Edwin Warner Park, and she seemed to have a really good time. It was awesome to have another member of Team Agee along as company! Her favorite part was the “Bumpy Road,” which was the old connector road by Ensworth High school. Even with the stroller, my legs felt pretty good throughout. In total we did 20 minutes of running and just under 18 minutes of walking for a total of 3.54 miles completed.

• Miles: 3.54
• Time: 37:52 minutes
• Pace: 10:42
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: HR Greenway from Nature Center

Local Flooding

We had a LOT of rain over the weekend, with areas of flooding. My original intention today was to park at a different area along the greenway, but this is what I saw on the road leading to the parking lot:

Bone Density Scan

Last Friday morning I had a Bone Density Scan at Premier Radiology to see if a lack of bone density might be contributing to my recurring stress injuries. Well, today I found out the scan shows I have mild Osteopenia, which simply means that my bone density is slightly less than the norm for my age and gender. The prescription was to take calcium and vitamin D supplements, and eat more calcium rich foods. So, it looks like I now have one more thing to add to my training program.

Cross-Training

• 100 Pushup Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 1 – 109 total reps (supposed to be 120, but I crashed in the last set)
• Pullups – 15 total reps
• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 15lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 15lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Groucho Walk – 45 seconds
• Hip Hike 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 2 x 12 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

Today’s Run

This was the 3rd day from week 2 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 4 x 5-minute run / 2-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Today’s run was through the streets of Green Hills in a driving rainstorm, following 1-hour on the elliptical at the Green Hills YMCA. Even though it was tough running in such miserable conditions, it was NOTHING compared to what the participants in the Country Music Half Marathon and Marathon had to deal with today for 13.1 or 26.2 miles respectively. It rained heavy throughout the race, and in honor of my running comrades who endured these nasty conditions, I give you one of my favorite Bill Bowerman quotes:

There’s no such thing as bad weather, just soft people.

Kudos for being true runners today! You definitely earned your medal.

As for my run, it was not fun, but I felt OK considering the weather. Just happy to have it over with. In total I got in 20 minutes of running and 11+ minutes of walking for 2.94-miles completed.

• Miles: 2.94
• Time: 31:30 minutes
• Pace: 10:40
• Shoes: Saucony Hattori LC (#2)
• Route: Abbot Martin, Vailwood, Hobbs

Cross-Training

• Elliptical >> 1 Hour

Beast Mode…ON!

Today’s Run

This was the 2nd day from week 2 of my “Return to Running” program. This includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 4 x 5-minute run / 2-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Kate still had 2 miles to go for the ING Kids Rock marathon that culminates on Sunday, so she joined me for this run to finish it out. I’m very proud of her for completing all 4 of the running intervals without having to stop and take a break. She was a real trooper, especially considering that it started raining about 1/4th of the way through the run. I’m also happy to have been able to run at least part of the kids marathon with her, since I was injured while she completed most of the miles. This afternoon, we kept everything very chill since Kate was with me, and because my legs were feeling timid after some intense cross-training yesterday. In total we got in 20 minutes of running and 18+ minutes of walking for 3.22-miles completed.

• Miles: 3.22
• Time: 38:10 minutes
• Pace: 11:50
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Harpeth Pkwy, McPherson Dr, HR Greenway

Cross-Training

• None >> been feeling rough today with seasonal allergies. Decided to take the night off from cross training.

Beast Mode…ON!

This is the cover of the May issue of Boston Magazine. It is comprised of over 100 pairs of shoes worn by participants in the 2013 Boston Marathon. Inside the magazine are runner’s stories for 15 of the pairs, and many of the additional stories can be found on their website. This is fantastic.

Boston Magazine has an article (Behind the May Boston Magazine Cover) on their website that explains how the cover came about. Here is a brief excerpt:

Then our design director, Brian Struble, and deputy design director, Liz Noftle, came up with the concept of taking shoes worn during the marathon and arranging them so that the negative space is in the shape of a heart. For reasons I’ll explain in a moment, I knew as soon as I heard the idea that we had our concept—not just for the collection of essays, but also for the cover. In fact, I quickly realized that the stories of the runners who wore those shoes would be even more powerful than the essays we’d commissioned. We quickly changed course and settled on the cover concept and the outlines of a feature package: We’d shoot the shoes collectively to form the heart, but we’d also photograph them as individual pairs to illustrate the stories told by the runners in the package (which we called “The Shoes We Wore,” and which you’ll find in the May issue).

What an awesome idea, and amazing they were able to pull it off.